Sliding shelf



Nov. 2, 1937. T. A. SINDELAR SLIDING SHELF Filed April 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l mamas A Sl/VDEIAR fiu-MMM Nov. 2, 1937. T. A. SINDELAR SLIDING SHELF Filed April 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R M M N A w w h 7 Patented Nov. 2, 1937 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE SLIDING SHELF Application April 21, 1936, Serial No. 75,608

ZClaims.

The present invention relates to sliding shelf, supporting structures of the kind that are mounted inside of cabinets, and more particularly to a structure which will permit the shelf to be slid outwardly to a position substantially completely outside of the cabinet in order to permit access to the entire shelf area.

One object of the invention is to provide such a structure which will firmly and positively support the shelf when it is in its withdrawn position.

Another object is to provide anovel system of inter-engaging parts between the various elements which will reduce the number of separate parts, and which will insure easyand positive operation.

Another object is to provide means whereby the entire supporting structure and shelf may be removed from the cabinet in a simple and easy manner.

Still another object is to provide means for securely holding the supporting structure within the cabinet and to prevent the shelf, when extended, from swinging downwardly under the weight of the shelf "and the articles supported thereon. \x

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is atop plan view of a portion of a cabinet showing the structure of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure l.

' Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line H of 85 Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the device shown positioned within a cabinet.

Figure 6 is a broken sectional view on the line 6-8 of Figure 5.

40 Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5, showing the shelf and support in completely extended position.

Figure 8 is a broken sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

46 Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the stationary guides.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of one of the intermediate sliding guides.

The invention is primarily designed to be used 50 in refrigerators, although it may be used in any cabinet structure where it is desirable to use sliding shelves. A. refrigerator cabinet is shown at ,and it has inner side walls l2. At any point on the walls i2 where it is desirable to 65 mount a shelf, rear studs l3 and forward studs walls I2 and into the interior of the cabinet. As

shown in Figure 3 these studs are preferably headed and have load-bearing portions I5.

Mounted upon each pair of studs I3 and H 5 and parallel to the side walls I2 is a stationary guide member it, which is in the form of a channel having its open side turned inwardly toward the center of the cabinet and preferably provided with a flange ll along one edge of the 10 open side.

The guides l6 are fabricated into a unit by means of cross rods l8 extending between their forward ends and cross rods l9 extending between their rearward ends and preferably welded II to the lower walls of the channels. The rods l8 and I9 are located in front of and behind the studs I4 and I3 respectively, and in order to secure the assembly within the cabinet structure the ends of the rods it are bent rearwardly be- 20 neath. the channels l6 where they form a bearing portion 20, to a. point behind the studs it where they are downwardly turned to form studs 2i engaging behind the studs I I. The rearward rods l9 are bent forwardly beneath and along 25 the guides l6, forming bearing portions 22, to a point in front of the studs I3, thence downward in the form of a rebent hook 23 that engages beneath the studs B. It will be seen that due to the studs 2| the guides l6 cannot be slid for- 30 wardly without lifting their forward ends until the studs 2| clear the studs it, while the hooks 23 engaging beneath the studs l3 prevent upward motion of the rear portions of the guides l6 and therefore prevent the shelf from swinging the guides upwardly when the shelf is in its extended position.

One of the walls of each of the guides l6, advantageously the top wall, is provided with a slot 24 that extends from a point near its rear end to a point approximately the center of the guide. The forward end of this slot acts as a stop as will appear from the following description.

Slidably mounted and enclosed within reach of the guides i6 is an intermediate guide 25 in the shape of a channel. These intermediate guides are held in the stationary guides by the flanges I 1. Each intermediate guide 25 extends beyond the front end of its guide [6, which latter may be cut away diagonally as shown at 26. The front end of the guide 25 is provided with an upstanding pin 21 which is in front of the top wall of the guide l6 and extends above it. The rear of the guide 25 is provided with a lug 23. that extends into the slot 24 of the stationary of the guide 25 by engaging the front wall of the slot.

A shelf structure 29 is slidably mounted in the sliding guides 25. Advantageously this shelf is formed of a relatively heavy frame having side rods 30 and an article-supporting grill ii. The side rods 30 are slidably mounted in the intermediate sliding guides 25 and lie wholly within the said guides.

In order to move the intermediate guides, as the shelf 29 is slid in and out, the following structure is provided. At a point approximately the middle of the side rods 30, each is provided with a hook 32 that extends inwardly from the rod 30 through the open sides of the channeled guides l6 and 25, to a point clear of the inner margin of the stationary guide i6, thence upwardly to a point above the guide l6 and thence outwardly over the top wall of the guide 16 and behind the pin 21 which is mounted on'the front end of the sliding guide25. It will be seen that when the shelf 29 has been pulled approximately half way out, the hooks 32 will engage the pins 21 and that further outward motion of the shelf will draw the sliding guides 25 outwardly until the lugs 28 engage the front walls of the slots 24, at which point the sliding guides 25 will be stopped and the shelf 29 will be stopped by the bearing of the hooks 32 against the pins 21.

To move the sliding guides 25 back as the shelf is slid into the cabinet, the side rods are provided with depending pins 33 that project downwardly to a point where they engage the fronts of the under walls of the intermediate guides as the shelf is slid inwardly.

The stationary guides It being secured together -in a unit by the rods I 8 and I9, the device may be removed from the cabinet structure as a whole by lifting the front portion thereof until the studs 2| clear the studs l4, and then moving the entire assembly forwardly. In order to make the assembly more rigid, one or more cross rods, such as shown at 34, may be welded between-the stationary guides IS.

The operation of the device is as follows: The shelf 29, being in the position shown in Figure 2, wholly within the cabinet, is pulled outwardly, and at a point where it is approximately half way'out of the cabinet, the hooks 92 engage the pins 21 and further motion causes the intermediate guides 25 to be withdrawn until the lugs "engage the forward walls of the slot 24 at which time the shelf 29 will be in fully withdrawn position and nearly completely out of the cabinet. To re-enter the shelf into the cabinet, it is pushed inwardly, the pins 33 engaging the ends of the intermediate sliding guides 25, when the shelf 29 is approximately half way into the cabinet and thereafter causing the guides 25 to slide rearwardly.

guide l6 and which limits the forward movement The device is simple and inexpensive to manufacture due to the fact that the different interengaging pins, lugs, etc. are secured directly to the-parts which bear them and do not require separate installation and the device is extremely compact since the telescopically engaging portions are all contained inside the guide I. and none of the, parts extend beyond these guides to any material extent. The cross rods II and I9 besides tying the guides it together are utilized for the purpose of securing the assembly to the studs on .the cabinet wall. Inasmuch as the intermediate guides are always within the stationary guides for at least half their length, and the side rods of the shelf are in the sliding intermediate guides, for at least half of their length, the extended shelf is firmly supported and has no tendency to sag.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

i. In a sliding shelf assembly for mounting in a cabinet structure, a pair of stationary channeled guide members for mounting adjacent the side walls of the cabinet, an intermediate channeled guide slidably mountedwithin each of the stationary guide members with its open side in register with that of the stationary guide and having an end portion extending forwardly of the stationary guide member, an upstanding pin on the end portion of the intermediate guide in front of the stationary guide member, a shelf having side rods slidably mounted in the intermediate guides and wholly inside of them, and a hook mounted on each of the side rods at substantially the longitudinal center thereof and extending through the open sides of the channel members, the ends of the hooks being rebent over the tops of the stationary guides and behind the pins on the sliding channels.

2. In a sliding shelf assembly for mounting in a cabinet structure and including stationary side guides, intermediate guides slidably mounted in the stationary guides, and a shelf having side rods slidably mounted in the intermediate guides and having means for engaging the intermediate guides to move them outwardly, and a depending pin on each of the side rods of the shelf located at the front of the shelf and in front of the end of the intermediate guide to engage the ends of the said guides and move them inwardly when the shelf is slid into the cabinet.

THOMAS A. SINDELAR. 

